Knitting machine



1,531,422 w. A. SIMOND KNITTING MACHINE March 31, 1925.

Filed Aug. 24, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 31, 1925.

W. A. SIMOND KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1925' s Sheets-Sheet 2v March 31, 1925. I 1,531,422 w. A. SIMOND KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 i the leg, it has been necessary Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

or FRANKLIN, N

COMPANY, or FRANKLIN,

WALTER A. SIMOND,

MACHINE 8n NEEDLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Application filed August a, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VALTER citizen of the United States, Franklin, in the county State of New Hampshire,

EW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOE TO TES PATENT oFFicE.

ACME KNITTING A CORPORATION NEW HAMPSHIRE,

KNITTING MACHINE.

A. S11\roND,a understood from residing at when read of Merrimack and have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the seamless hosiery knitting of and is concerned more especially with the knitting of hosiery which includes both ribbed and plain work.

It has been proposed heretofore to knit hosiery with a plain foot and a ribbed leg,

and it has also been proposed to further vary the knitting of the leg by of the ribbed knitting near the for instance,

changing the style top, using,

a four and one rib for the greater part of the leg and a two and one rib at the top. Usually,

however, it has been customary to maintain a uniform number of stitches throughout the leg and top, and

frequently, also, this same tained throughout the foot, the the leg being pr length of the stltch as the knittin proceeds from the top of the s ward the toe. This process, prior processes of which ting hosiery of the character scribed require the transfer of st one set of needles to change is made from the other ribbed knitting to plain number is mainshaping of oduced by decreasing the g operation tocking toand all the I am aware, of knitabove deitches from when the knitting, and the knitting machine must be run at a very low speed is effected. In cases where it ha posed to use a finer rib at the stocking than through the main while this transfer s been protop of the portion of to make another transfer of stitches between the two ribbed sections,

and this second transfer also necessitates the slowing down of the machine. Furthermore, when 1 are made automatically, there is view to simplifying the danger The present invention aims chines for these transfers always the cluding both ribbed and plainwork with a knitting operations,

reducing the liability of producing flaws or imperfect work, increasing duction, and avoiding the necessl ferrmg stitches.

the rate of proty of trans- Serial No. 659,088.

The nature of the invention will be readily the following description panying rawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the drawings, 7 Figure 1 is a plan view of the adjusting and controlling mechanism for the dial needles of a knitting machine embodyingthis invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a section of the attern wheel by means of which the dial needles are adjusted;

Fig: 3 is an enlarged of the dial cam adjusting mechanism; Fig. 4: is a plan view, partly in cross section, of the dial needles and the dial cams showing these parts in their relationship to the cylinder needles;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view through a part of the dial cam mechanism;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are plan views of different dial cam'segments; and I h Fig. 9 is a view illustrating the difference in the heights of butts of the dial needles. The invention will be herein described in connection with a machineconstructed and organized substantially in accordance with the disclosure in pending application Serial No, 546,563 filed March 25, 1922, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The detailed description in the present application will be confined more especially to those features in which this invention parts from the disclosure made in said application, and reference should be made to the earlier application for a detailed description of the construction and operation of the machine as a whole.

For the purposes of the present application it is suflicient to state, with regard to this earlier machine, that it includes a cylinder and a dial carrying independent sets -of needles, suitable cams for operating the needles, and auomatic controlling mechanism for causingthe machine to knit either a plain or ribbed fabric, and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to the other. So far as the cylinder needles and their operating mechanism is concerned, the present invention makes no change whatever in the machine shown in the appli in connection with the accomplan view of a part divided into two groups, those in the lowerhalf of the dial shown in Fig. 4 anddesignated by the numeral 5 having lon er butts than those located ihthe upper ha f ofthe dial and designated{ by the numeral 6.

- The dial cams for operating these needles include a rear adjustable cam-7 and a front cam consisting of three cam segmentsh8, 9

and 10, respectively. All of these cams are mounted to be swung inwardly into inoperative positions or outwardly into operative positions, and the three cam segments are superposed one upon the other fiand all mounted to swin about a common pivotal axis. The cams ust mentioned simply-act to project the needles, and for the purpose of withdrawing or retracting them additional outer cam membersare provided includin a stitch cam 12 having a stitch drawing point 14. Other of the outer cam members are indicated at 15, 16 and 17, respectively, Fig. 4.

For the purpose of adjusting the front cam segments into and out of their operative positions, the segments 9 and 10 are pivoted on the pivot stud 20 of the lowermost se ment 8. These .two segments 9 and 10 have studs 21 and 22 fixed therein and extending upwardly through slots formed in the dial cam cap 24, Figs. 1 and 3. An arm 25, Fi

1 and 3, is secured to the stud 20 above t e dial cam cap, a link 26 to a lever 27 which is. pivoted on a shaft 28 mounted on the rotating cam plate 29 near one side thereof. A coiled spring 30 actson this lever in a direction tending to swing the cam 8 inwardly into its inopera'tive position.

For the purpose of locking the cam 8 out in its operative position, the, lever 27 has a lockor bracket 32, best shown in Fig. 3, fastened thereto and provided with a notch 33 adapted to be engaged by the end of a latch 34, this latch being drawn toward the look 32 by a spring 35. The outer ends of the latch 34 and lock 32 are located at different elevations and are arranged to strike, at certain times, the edge of a disk or controller 36 mounted on the u per. end of a vertical rod 37 which is raise and lowered by cam lugs, such as thoseindicated at 38, Fig. 2,

- mounted ina pattern wheel '40. The mechathe nism for adjusting the controlling disk 36 is exactly like that shown and described in pending application above designated.

and this armis connected by The cam segment 9 is adjusted in the same manner, its stud 21 being connected by a link 42, Fig. 1, to a lever 43 fulcrumed on a shaft 44 and acted upon by a spring 45 which tends to hold the cam segment in its innermost position. .A look 46 is secured to the lever and cooperates with a latch 47, all these parts being substantially like those provided to move the cam segment 8. This latch and lock are operated by a disk 48 like the disk 36, and arranged to be moved into different elevations by lugs on the pattern wheel 40 in the manner full described in the application above referre to.

The stud 22 of the cam segment 10 is connected by a link 50 to an arm 51 secured fast on the shaft 44, and a coiled spring (not shown) encircles this shaft and acts on it in a direction tending tovmove the cam segment 10 to its innermost position. Another arm 51', also secured on. the shaft 44, has a point or toe 52 arranged to be engaged by a spring pressed latch 53 to lock the cam segment 10 in its outermost or operative position. The

outer ends of the latch 53 and arm 51' are arranged toybe engaged by the disk 48 at certain times to release the latch or to move the arminto position to be engaged'by the latch. V The rear cam 7 is adjusted in much the same manner as the cams above described,

but has two operative positions. 'This cam has a stud or pin 55 extending through the dial cam cap, and it is connected by a link 56 to an arm 57 which is secured to the'shaft 28, previously referred to. A look 58 is also secured on this shaft and has a toe or point arranged to be en aged by either of two latches 59 and 60. ne of these latches holds the cam 7 in an intermediate position, while the other holds it in its outermost position. Springs coiled about the pivots of these latches act on them to hold them normally in latching position, and their outer ends are arranged to be engaged by the disk 36 at the deslred times. The lock 58 is provided with two wings or desi ated at 62 and 63, respectively, which are ocated at different elevations so that they may be selectively engaged by the disk 36 to move thecam 7 into either its intermediate or outermost position after it has been adiusted in its innermost position.

It wil now be evident that by the employment of suitable lugs in the pattern wheel 40. the three groups of needles can be selectively brought into or put out of operation. It should also be noted'that'the cams are locked in their outermost or o erative positions and are held ieldingly in their inoperative positions.

cams from being operative sit on by a bent or broken needle. 1 e cam arrangement above de-' lugs at its outer end,

his arrange; ment has the advantage of preventing the moved accidentally out'of the top of the leg, the machine would be the lon butt needles 5 in at this time,

started in operation in the usual manner, the knitting operation at first being performed simply by the cylinder needles to form a plain toe. After -knitting a few courses the )EChinawould fashionthe toe pocket by reciprocating knitting in the well known manner, and a few circular courses would then be made on the cylinder needles in order to facilitate the looping operation after the stockingjs completed. The cam 10 is next swung into its operative position through a proper adjustment of the disk 36 by the pattern mechanism. This cam throws one-half of the dial cylinder into action. These needles immediately take thread and cooperate with the needles in one half of the cylinder to knit a four and one ribbed inste while the other cylinder needles knit a p ain fabric bottom in the foot. This action continues until the heel is reached, when the knitting operation isstopped on half of the cylinder needles and allthe dial needles in operation while the pocket is formed by reciprocating knitting in the usual manner. Upon the'resumptionjof circular knittin a plain fabric will be formed in the'bac of the ankle and a four and one ribbed fabric at the front of the ankle. At the desired point in the ankle or leg-the cam 9 will be swun into its operative position,

thus bringing lnto action the dial needles will immediately desired length has been formed an needles 4 which, up

6 in the opposite side ofthe dial to that occupied by the needles'5. These needles form stitches and the entire set of needles then in action will pro-' duce a "fourand one ribbed fabric. This operation will'be continued until a leg of the d the point is reached where it is desired to be in the knitting of a finer ribbed top. At t is point the'pattern mechanism will move the lowermost cam segment 8 into its operative position, thus throwin into action the to t is time, have been idle. All of the dial needles and all of the cylinderneedles will then knit, with the result: that a two and one ribbed fabric will be formed at the top of the stocking. When the desired length .of'to has been com-. pleted, the dial needles Wlll be withdrawn, suitable welts and a few loose courses usually being formed at this point to facilitate the separation of the stocking from that nextvformed, and the operations above de-- scribed will then be repeated.

By be inning the knitting operation at the toe o the stocking and knitting upwardly, and introducing additional needles to change the character'of the knitting operation, it is unnecessary to transfer stitches or to greatly reducethe speed of the knitting operation when-such changes are made.

This not only, enables the process above described to be carried out with a simpler mechanism than otherwise would be possible, but it makes it possible to increase the rate of production, and it greatly reduces the danger of breaking threads, mis-stitching, or producing other flaws or imperfections in the. work during the periods of transition from one style of knitting to another. During suchperiods the knitting operation may not only be continued uninterruptedly, but continued without any great reduction inspeed A more comfortable and better fitting v stocking isproduced by this process.

the knitting of this stocking, additional needles are brought into action in producing successive portions of the stocking of increased diameter, so stitches is increased at points of increased diameter. At the same time, the stitch can be pedient that has been The increase in the num er ofstitches and in the width and elasticity of thetop of the stocking which is obtained by this process is of particular value in producing a better fitting and more comfortable stockln l When additional needles are introduced to change from one style of knitting to another, as above described, it is preferable to throw the rear cam 7 to an intermediate position for the first two courses after the that the number of the length of adjusted so as to obtain all the advantage of fashioning by this exssible heretofhreL- change is made so that the dial needles will first make tuck stitches and thus reduce'the size of the eyelets or openings in the fabric formed by making this change.

While I have herein' shown and described invention that 'n'a the best embodiment of m I have so far devised, it w1ll be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from thespirit or scope thereof. i l

Having thus describedmy invention, I desire to claim as new is':

'1. In a circular hosiery knitting machine, the combination of a cylindena series of cylinder needles supported therein, a dial, a circular series of dial needles mounted in said dial in cooperative relationship to said cylinder needles, the alternate needles in said dial having long butts and the remaining needles having short butts, the long butt needles in one-half of the dial having longer butts than those in the other half of what said dial,' and operating:instrumentalities for all of said needles including means for i the combination of a ing needles having short operating said dial needles havingbutts of certain lengths to the exclusion -of dial needles having butts of a different length.

2. In a circular hosiery knitting machine, cylinder, aseries of cylinder needles supported therein, a dial, a

circular series of dialneedles mounted in said dial in cooperative relationship to said cylinder needles, the alternate needles in said dial having long butts and the remainbutts, the long-butt needles in one-half of the dial having longer butt-s than those in the other half of said dial, operating instrumentalities for all of said needles including three superposed dial cam segments for selectively operating said dial needles, and means for automatically adjusting said cam segments independently of each other to operate the desired set of said dial needles.

3. In a circular hosiery knitting machine, the combination of a cylinder, a circular series of cylinder needles supported therein, a dial, a circular series of dial needles mounted in said 'dial in cooperative relationship to said cylinder needles, the alternate needles insaid dial having long butts and the remaining needles having short butts, the long butt needles in one-half of the dial having longer butts than those in the other half of the dial, operating instrumentalities for all of said needles including adjustablecam means for giving said dial needles, their knitting movement, and automatic mechanism for adjusting said means to operate certain of said 'dial needles to the exclusion of others.

- WALTER A.-SIMON1). 

